Only used by drunks and drug users

In response to the latest letter by Shirley Hotchkiss of Umina and the outlandish claims of ice caps melting and sea levels rising and hurricane Katrina blowing down the Brisbane Waters of Margaret Lund and Michael Gillian, it's time to use some common sense.

The Ettalong town beach is not a dune.

Any layman knows the town centre is sitting on what was once a coastal dune area hundreds of years ago.

For the past 100 years, it has always been a public beach.

Historic photos and original families will contest to that.

In the 60s and 70s, I was one of hundreds of kids who hired out Gilbert's canoes and enjoyed the long stretch of beautiful beach while our families sat up on the grass watching over us.

Today the beach has been neglected and the only people using it are drunks and drug users.

Our hard earned rates have been spent on tons of studies and plans and I for one say enough is enough.

We want to see our Ettalong town beach returned to a beautiful beach for everyone to use as it was 20 years ago.

Janet Kissane, Umina Beach